foster



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

0. S. & W. S. FDSTER;

MACHINE FOR MAKING SPIRAL SPRINGS.

Patented July 10, 1883.

N, iEIERSv Photo-magn fier. Wuhingtm I). c.

(No Model.) 2,Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. S. 8; W; S. FOSTER.

MAGHI-NE' FDR MAKING SPIRAL SPRINGS. A

Patented July 10, 1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

OSCAR S. FOSTER AND ,VVILLIAM S. FOSTER, OF UTIOA, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,923, dated July 10, 1883.

Application filed May 14, 1583. (No model.)

To 0025 whom it may concern:

, Be it known that we, OSCAR S. FosTnR and WILLIAM S. Fosrnn, of Utica, in the county of Oneidaand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for .Making Bed-Springs; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. Our invention relates to an improvement in the apparatus for-forming coiled springs, and more particularly spiral bed-springs, the object of the same bein to provide a spring that will be strong and durable and well adapted for the purpose in view without increasing the cost of manufacture.

A further object is to provide improved mechanism for coiling the springs and cutting and bending the opposite ends thereof, and also for locking the lower end to the lower or base coil of the spring; and with these ends in View our invention consists in the several parts and combination of parts constituting the machine, hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of our improved coiling, bending, and cutting device. Fig. 2 shows detached views of the cutting and bending mechanism. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional view through the cutting and bending mechanism. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of our improved device for locking the lower bent end to the lower coilof the spring. Fig. 5 is a similar view from theopposite side of the machine, showing the parts in another position. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same, showing the manner of bending the lower end of the spring around the loop or eye. Fig. 7 is a detached view of the vertical shaft, show ing the lower end thereof in section. Fig. 8 is a view of the spring after it leaves the coiling, cutting, and bending mechanism. Fig. 9 is a view of the completed spring; Fig. 10, a longitudinal sectional view of the bar F, showing theprei'erred form of cutting-edge.

A represents the ordinary cone, provided with spiral grooves and mounted on the shaft B, provided with the handle 0. This shaft B is journaled in the upright standards D,'which are secured to or form a part of the base D. The standards D support, at their upper ends,

the plate E, which latter is preferably cast integral with the standards and forms a part thereof. This face-plate is provided near its opposite ends with the vertical slots (1, through which the screw-threaded bolts 2) pass, for the purpose of adjustably securing the flat bar F in position over the cone, so as to enable it to be elevated or lowered to adapt it to cones of different sizes. This flat bar F projects slightly over the cone, so as to enable the cutting, bending, and coiling mechanism,which are secured thereto, to occupy a position over or near thebars of the cone, and the lower edge of the said bar F is provided with a slot, d, the front edge, cl, of which is a cutting-ed go, and acts in conjunction with cutting-edge d of the movable bending and cutting jaw G. The cutting-edge cl of the bar F can be formed integral with the bar or separate and removable therefrom, as de sired, the latter, however, being preferable, as it enables the cutting edge or blade to be removed for sharpening, or a new one to be substituted in case the old one should break. The bar F is provided on its front face, alongside of the open slot (1, .with the rigid ,jjflSV I and the move able jaw I. The rigid jaw I is beveled, as shown in the drawings, while the movable jaw I is also beveled in. the opposite direction, so as to register with the jaw I, for the purpose of bending the end of the wire at the base of the spring inwardly toward the body of the spring. Portions of j the bar F, alongside of the jaws I and I and on opposite sides of the slot d, are cut away, as shown at e, for the purpose of forming a recess, in which the, bent end of the coil-spring rests. The movable jaw G is rigidly securedto the lever J, which latter is pivotally secured by the bolt f to the bar F. The rear end of this lever is in turn pivotally connected to the lever K, which latter is secured by the pivot-bolt b to either the face-plate or to the bar F. The rear end of this lever is connected to the upper end of the adjustable pitman L. On the opposite side of the bar F the combined shear and bendingjaws G and G are secured. The movable jaw I is pivotally secured to the bar Fby the bolt f, and is provided with a rearwardly-extending arm, to which the pitman L is pivotally secured. The jaw G is V-shaped in cross section, and the inner edge, (F, of the same is adapted to act in conjunction with the edge (1" of the bar F for the purpose of severing the coiled spring from the main body of the wire. The rigid or fixed jaw G is adapted to register'with this V- shaped end of the j aw, G and.

5 bend the end of the wire for the next spring. Both pitmen L L" are formed in two parts, to enable them to be readilyadjusted'to suit the jaws, and both are secured at their lower ends to the treadles L". v These treadles are bolted or otherwise secured together, so as to move simultaneously, and each is provided, at suitable intervals apart, with mortises, into which the lower ends of the pitmen can be secured for the purpose of increasing or decreasing I 5 the stroke of the jaws. These mortises in the two treadles are formed side by side, so that both pitmen can be attached to the treadles the same distance from the fulcrum of the treadles, for the purpose of giving the same amount of throw tothe two movable jaws, or at unequal distances therefrom, which would give unequal throw or stroke to the two movable jaws. This, allowable variation in the treadles and pitmen enables us to give more 2 5 or less bend to the wire on either or both sides ofthe bar F. V

The operation of this portion of the device is as follows: The end of a continuous strip of wire is first bent, as shown at h, by placing it between the jaws I and I, and is then intro-.

duced into the slot 12? on the end of -the cone, which latter was fully described in our Patent No. 264,071, dated September 12, 1872. p The cone is then revolved in the proper direction 3 5 by means of the handle, and thewire is guided into the groove in the cone by the operator.

When enough wire hasbeen coiled on the cone tovform the spring, the rotary motion of the cone is discontinued and the pressure of the 40 hand on the coil-springis released. This allows the spring to partly unwind or widen, and the portion of the wire which is to form one end of the spring is introduced into the open slot d of the bar F. The treadles are 5 now depressed, and the jaw G, together with the edge d of. the bar F, severs the coiled spring. from the main body or strip of springwire. By continuing the pressure on the treadles the -end of the coiled spring is bent 5o inwardly or toward the body of the spring,

while the end of the spring-wire, which is held between the jaws Gand G, is bent to form the end 2 of the next spring. This finishes the first of the, operation, and the coiled spring 5 5 thus formed is then removed from .the cone and placed on the base-plate N, which latter is provided with the elevated projections k, around which latter the base or lower coils of the spring is placed. This base-plate is also provided with the finger Z, adapted to overlap the wire just behind the inwardly-bentend h and hold the spring down in position, with the bent end h directly under the vertical shaft 0. This shaft is journaled in a'suitable bearing,

- 0, and is open or socketed at its lower end, into which the Socketed P s 0 is introduced. This plug is held in place b segscrew, and

ordinarily rests flush with the lower end of the shaft 0-, and is provided with an opening or arm P, tothe underside of which, and near its inner end, the roller 1) is pivotally secured. The

bearing 0 is provided withthe open vertical slot 0 in which a small stud on the shaft enters, for the purpose of holding the arm]? and The shaft 0 is also provided roller p in such position that the latter will engage the back or inner face of the second coil of thespring when the shaft is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow. The upper portion of the shaft 0, between the handle and the bearing of, is encircled by a spiral spring, V, the tendency of which is to keep the arm P elevated. After the spring has been placed on the base-plate, the shaft 0 is depressed until the small stud thereon emerges from the slot 0 When the shaft hasbeen depressed this distance, the end h of the spring has entered the socketed plug 0, and the roller p rests on the inside of the second coil of the spring. The shaft 0 is then turned in the direction indicated, and the roller 9? engages the second coil of the spring. The stud'has then left the open slot 0 and bears against theunder side of the bearing 0 and holds the shaft down to its work. By continuing the movement of the shaft,.th'e rollerv 10 carries all that portion of the spring above the'base-coiland to the right of the bent end h around with it, forming a complete eye or ring around the end h Necessarily the eye thus formed in this instance must be of .the same size as the wire around which it was formed; but, if desired, the socketed plug 0, which is removable, and which can be made of different sizes, is adapted to be lowered below the edge of the shaft 0,

and the eye canbe formed aroundit, instead of around the bent end h. 'After the eye has 7 been formed, the spring V forces the shaft up.

to its elevated position, and all that remains to be done is to lock or bend the projecting end over the eye for the purpose of locking the free ,end of the base-coil to the second coil of the spring. This-is accomplished bythe shaft T, the cranked end of which rests to one side of the bent end h. This shaft is j ournaled to the base of the machine, and is provided on its outer end with the small pinion w,which meshes with the rack-bar 10, secured to the rod-20 This rod moves vertically between the pinion and guide-roller, andis held in an elevated position by a suitable spring or equivalent device, and is operated by. a suitable treadle connected to the lower end thereof. From the foregoing itwill be seen that by depressing the rod w the cranked end of the shaft Tis gether.

The mode which is now employed by manu' facturers, as far as we can learn, is to form the eye arounda separate pin and make the hooks on the end of the wire separately, and then hook the hook into the eye. The advantages'our methods possess over former methodsare a great economy of time and a superior made spring.

It is evident that numerous changes in the construction and relative arrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention, and hence we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact construction shown and described, but consider ourselves' at liberty to" make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of our invention. a

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The process of forming a spring, consisting, essentially, in first coiling the spring and bending the end of the base-coil inwardly toward the body of the spring, then forming an eye in the second coil around the inwardlybent end, and finally bending the said end down on the eye.

2. The combination, with suitable coiling mechanism, of combined cutting and bending mechanism placed in close proximity to the coiling mechanism and adapted to sever the coiled spring from the spring-metal strip, bend the end of the base-coil inwardly toward the body of the spring to form a hook, and-bend the end of the strip to form the point for the next spring, the said cutting and bending mechan,

ism consisting, essentially, of a bar having an open slot and a fixed cutting-blade, a movable bending-j aw, and a combined cutting and bend ing movable jaw secured to the opposite sides thereof and adapted to-be operated by inde pendent levers, and rigid bending-jaws secured to opposite sides of the bar and respectively in front of the said movable jaws,"'substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for forming bed-springs from a continuous piece of wire, the combination, with a grooved cone, of movable and fixed combined cutting and bending jaws situated in close proximity to the cone and disposed, respectively, diagonally to each other, and

' adapted to sever the spring from the strip,

bend the end of: the spring inwardly toward the body of the spring, and bend the end of the strip to form the point forthe next spring,= I

substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a cone, of an adjustable bar situated above the cone, and combined cutting and bending jaws secured to the faceplate.

5. The combination,.with a cone, of an ad just-able bar situated above the cone, of movasecured to the said arm, substantially as set ble bending and cutting jaws pivotally secured to the bar, and jaws rigidly secured to the saidbar and adapted to act in conjunction with the movable jaws.

The combination, with a revolving cone and abar situated above the same, and provided with an open slot and a fixed cutting blade or edge, of the rigid and removable jaws, thearms'and'levers connected thereto, and the adjustable pitmen and treadles, all of the above parts combined and adapted to operate as described 7. The combination, with a base-plate for supporting the spring, of devices for forming an eye around the upwardlyprqjecting end if thereof, and devices for bending the said end down over or on the eye, substantially as set, forth.

8. The combination, with a base-p1atc,of a shaft the lower end of which is provided with a socket or opening for the reception of the upwardly-projecting endh of the spring, horizontal arm secured to said shaft, and a roller 5 forth.

9. The combination, witli'a base-plate, constructed as described, of a revolving shaft having a socketed lower end and arm sc cured to said shaft, a roller secured to the arm, and devices forbending the end 71? down over the eye formed by bending the wire around the said end 71?, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, with the base-plate, the bearing 0, provided with the open slot, of 5 the shaft provided with the stud, a spring encircling the shaft, an arm secured to the lower end of the shaft, a roller secured to the arm,-

and a device for bending the end If of the spring over the eye formed by the roller.

11. The combination, with the base-plate, bearing, shaft, arm, and roller, of the cranked shaft and devices for operating the same, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, with the base-plate, r05 shaft, and the removable plug adjustably se cured within the lower end of the shaft, of the cranked shaft and devices for operating it, 1 substantially as set forth. I

13. The combination, with the base-plate, no shaft, spring, arm, and roller, of the crankshaft provided at its outer end with a pinion, all of the aboveparts combined and adapted to operate as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR S. FOSTER. XVILLIAM S. FOSTER.

Vitnesses:

- HENRY A.-DooL1TTLE, F. MERRY. I 

